Undivided
by Mickey Cookies
Summary: Chapter II: As Denzel's health continues to fail, someone he loves comes back, but are they here to stay? Or will they leave him once more, just like before? And what about Cloud? Will he ever return? Novelization of AC with an AU twist CxAxZ
1. Chapter I: Cave

Hello everyone! This had been a little project of mine that I had been working on before I started my other chapter fic but I found this again and decided to upload it. I noticed my other story was referencing a lot to this one and was becoming confusing to those who haven't read this, so I decided why not, it would definitely clear up some plot holes. Anyway, you would not believe how many times I had to watch scenes from the movie to write this first chapter, and it even went through a couple of changes before the final product was done. If you are a hardcore fan of Advent Children and have the movie memorized by heart then you'll notice the slight changes in some of the character's actions and lines :) all those small changes lead up to an even BIGGER change in the next chapter that will (or probably won't, I don't know) surprise people. ! Oh yeah, and because of that bigger change I decided to combine the original lines, and maybe a few scenes, with the lines and scenes of Advent Children Complete, so for those of you who have seen both movies, there will definitely be a 'WTF?' feeling. The only thing I am not proud of with this chapter is that it is mostly talking, I couldn't do much more than that because if you watch the movie the characters stand completely still when they talk! They don't do anything! But either way, I had fun writing it and I really hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children DO NOT belong to me. They belong to the wonderful people at SQUARE-ENIX. I am in no way making any profit off of this, it is entirely for fun.

Enjoy!

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><p>The wind blew past him as he ran.<p>

Not too far behind, his cubs struggled to keep up, laughter and happiness shining in their eyes. Heavy paws struck the ground in a continuous mantra that could only be compared to the steady beating drum of his proud tribe, the heart of their existence.

The cubs slowly but surely began to catch up to him, following their father up the rocky winding path, their tails trailing behind them as they jumped. The cliff drew closer than ever and soon they were standing beside him, overlooking the jungle of iron. A city that once, so very long ago, was the most powerful in the world. Midgar.

Nanaki backed away from the edge and threw his head back, a mighty roar soaring through the sky, almost as if he was trying to reach heaven itself. A flock of brightly colored birds flew overhead and the cubs watched in awe. His cry was proud, yet it held such sadness.

Pain, for the ones who no longer stood with him.

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><p>"Why does humankind even bother?<p>

"You wreck everything you've ever made…

"Then you start over like it'll be any different the next time."

Rusty metal gears whirred around them as the gated elevator doors opened.

"I suppose we're no good at facing our memories."

The silver haired man smiled. Wrapping his hands around the handles of the chair, he pushed his companion forward without complaint, as if they were lifelong friends.

"We'd rather gild the past…"

He stopped the chair near the edge of the building, overlooking the ground below them and the light gray sky. The one in the wheelchair continued, "Find something worthwhile among the rubble and build a future with that."

"And that's why you salvaged mother? To "gild the past"?"

"We were trying to rid ourselves of a more immediate problem."

"You can't mean the stigma?" The silver haired man laughed, "But you're the ones who brought that upon yourselves in the first place."

The man in the chair was silent, making the silver haired man's eyes darken, "Well now. I guess you really do have a short memory."

"No. Not me." The man in the chair paused as he watched the sky silently.

"You see, it is my choice to forget."

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><p>"Tseng! Look at this."<p>

"Pay dirt."

"Not a pretty sight, is it?"

His fingertips drummed against the buttons impatiently. The snow was falling down hard. In fact, he was pretty sure it wasn't even snow anymore; it must have been hail by now. Gazing off into the distance he spoke into his headset, "Who cares? Just get the damn thing." The other end of the line broke up, and then became clear again.

"Reno, the chopper."

The red head smiled. Sitting up, he took over the controls and began to prep the helicopter for landing, "You got it." Then disappeared into the fog.

The blizzard started to pick up speed. Harsh, whipping winds carrying hail and whatever had been caught in the storm, far, far away.

Gunshots rang off in the distance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"Reno, hurry!" A woman cried, ". . . Reno!"

"Who the hell was that?"

"Elena!" Tseng screamed.

"Go! G-get out . . .!"

"Ah! Dammit!"

The helicopter broke through the thick barrier of fog and turned sharply, leaving the one-sided war behind. Rays of cloudy sunlight shone on the logo that was painted on its side: Shin-Ra Electric Power Company.

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><p>The kids watched in awe as the crane dropped the last of the building in place, eyes bright and lips parted in wonder. Across the street a man laid in the corner, gasping and coughing. Their attention was immediately taken off the building.<p>

"Uh, let's go," the taller girl said from her seat on the metal oil drum.

"Yeah."

They left, laughing happily and running across the street, nearly knocking down a man in their wake, "Hey! Watch where you're going!" he shouted after them.

One by one they hopped over puddles, making a game of it. The boy at the back missed his footing and landed into a small puddle of water, splashing silver sprinkles around him.

They all laughed happily and ran. Not once looking back, never once noticing the two children that sat in the alleyway, the water drenching them both.

The older one removed herself from the thin blanket and took the edge shakily between her fingertips, rubbing it across her little brother's face, drying his pale skin.

Loud footsteps made their way towards them and she held her brother tightly, wrapping her arms around him and covering his eyes as a man stumbled towards them. His rotting skin almost bubbled as he splashed in the water, throwing himself against the wall and purging a disease that seemed to destroy him from the inside out. She closed her eyes and turned away, tears slipping free.

She never saw his body fall, never took in the cruel sight of death incarnate, but there was no mistaking the loud splash of water she heard and then, the silence.

Marlene was pulled from her thoughts when the small towel fell off his head. Denzel groaned and touched his forehead, running his fingers over the bruise like plague. He turned to her, eyes glazed over from sleep and smiled at her but she didn't return it.

She only stared at his disease.

_They call it Geostigma._

He pulled his hand away to show her, his smile never fading, "Well, Marlene? How does it look?"

The small girl was silent for a while, debating whether to tell him what he wanted to hear or the truth. Instead she only smiled and pushed herself off the chair, reaching out to the towel and placing it back on his forehead.

_Please. Please don't take Denzel away._

Clinking glasses and the running water were the only sounds that could be heard from the main floor. The raven-haired woman listened intently to the news report on the radio as she washed, pausing every now and then to just listen as Reeve spoke.

He was all that was left of Shin-Ra.

The world was blaming the poor man for everything the company had ever done, being completely ignorant to the fact that _they_ were the ones who had put their trust so blindly in Shin-Ra, not in Reeve.

She sighed and continued washing, wiping the plates distractedly as her mind wandered off.

It had been two years.

Two years since—

The phone rang and she turned, setting the glasses aside, she stopped the tap, and wiped her hands on a dishtowel. Her previous thoughts instantly forgotten as she climbed the stairs.

When she passed the guest room, Denzel had whispered softly to the one person who was nowhere to be found.

"Cloud, where are you?"

Marlene looked up from her spot next to Denzel to gaze at the woman standing in the middle of the hall. All she could do was offer a soft smile and take the older boy's hand in her own, showing her that everything was fine. The little girl watched as she smiled back and continued down the hall to answer the phone.

She was a bit confused.

The phone should have gone into voicemail by now.

She picked up the phone and raised it to her ear, "Seventh Heaven bar, Tifa speak—"

The bar maid was cut off by the man on the other end, her eyes narrowing as his voice slowly began to register in her head, but she needed to make sure. Just in case. "May I ask whose calling?" Tifa listened intently to the other line and her bemused look melted into a light smile, the softest of chuckles escaping with it. She looked out the window and placed her hand on her hip, "Yeah, I remember you."

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><p>The sky was gray, and the wind blew steadily.<p>

In the type of world they lived in, today was considered a beautiful day, one that was practically a crime to waste sitting at home.

There was nothing beautiful about it, nothing at all, nothing that could be compared to how things used to be.

Before the war.

His cell phone beeped before playing the message, "_You got a call from Reno. He's in Healen. Says he has work for you_," Tifa paused, "_She still hasn't come back yet . . . Cloud, how have you been?_" it beeped once more and the electronic voice spoke, "_You have no more messages_."

Cloud stared at his phone, eyes trained on the home screen intently before snapping it shut and placing the small black device in his back pocket. He removed his sunglasses from the front compartment of his bike and rested them comfortably on the bridge of his nose, adjusting them. Leaning forward, his hand reached out to turn the key and start the ignition, when he stopped.

The soft breeze had lifted the dust to reveal boot prints in the dirt. They were small, and led to the bloom-surrounded sword that was embedded in the hardened earth. Cloud's eyes narrowed beneath his shades and his body tensed, with a shake of his head he turned the key and revved up the engine of the shining black motorcycle, taking off without a second glance.

The flowers were fresher than he thought.

He had only come to pay his respects, now he was leaving with the sharp jaws of surmise eating away at him.

"_Here . . . But why?"_

He rode at a breakneck speed, trying to physically evade the suspicions that had strayed into his mind, avoiding the 'what if's. He didn't want to believe things had turned out that bad, why should they have when they hadn't even had a chance to begin?

Jagged rocks and dust clouds flew past him at dangerous speeds. His mind was set on one thing and one thing only: escape.

From high above, three figures pulled up to the edge of the cliff, the one in the middle kicking the rusty sword to fall flat on its side and crushing the flowers beneath the large front tire of his motorcycle. All had silver hair and glowing jade eyes, but only two held wicked grins.

The one without the devilish smile turned dead eyes on the man parked in the middle, speaking with a voice as monotonous and gray as his appearance, "Hey, Kadaj? Is that where big brother lives?"

The shortest of the three, Kadaj, smiled. His eyes never leaving the broken city of Edge in the distance, "Yeah."

"Do you think he'll be glad to see us?"

Kadaj smirked, "Not a chance!"

"Don't cry, Yazoo!" the tallest of them said, grinning.

The one who had spoken first, Yazoo, tilted his head, "But mother's with him." Kadaj leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"Maybe not."

Yazoo tilted his head even more at the sound of sniffling and spoke to the one who had teased him only a moment ago, "Don't cry, Loz."

Loz, with the biggest build of them all, had his head down and tears were escaping his eyes as he sniffled. A low rumbling sound met their ears and Kadaj turned, eyes brightening, "Hold on, He's coming!"

Cloud's motorcycle traveled easily along the flat plains as they watched him. Loz and Yazoo exchanged grins and then they both leaned forward, the engines of their bikes roaring to life in unison, and without hesitation, gunned it straight off the cliff.

The sound of the heavy, metal machines over the blast of his own had alerted him at once. Cloud looked over his shoulder to see Loz and Yazoo, catching up with him quickly, _"What the hell?"_ Their bikes were flying in midair, giving them enough space to just barely make it over a large cluster of boulders before slamming into the ground, the collision not shaking them at all. Black shadows shot out from their bikes, speeding along the terrain at an incredible speed, and then growing into large, ominous creatures he had never seen before. The sides of his bike fell open revealing hidden sword compartments, each one held a different type of blade but he didn't take his time to chose.

Cloud removed the first blade he saw, the compartments closing up as soon as he made his selection; throwing his arm back he readied himself for the attack. One of the monsters lunged at him and he slashed through it without resistance. It disintegrated into smoke as another one attacked, scarcely coming the slightest bit close to him before being cut through like the one before it, as he restrained the bike from losing control. Loz and Yazoo moved in while he battled the herd of shadow creepers, slicing left and right only to have more emerge from the smoke they perished in.

The shadows fell back to make room for Loz as he rode up beside Cloud, grinning sadistically, "Where's Mother?" The silver haired man's fist burned blue before he threw his arm forward, sending a glowing punch towards him.

He dodged it, the force of his sudden movement sending the bike swerving for a split second. Gaining control once again, he got the bike back on track. Gunshots rang out behind him and Yazoo rode up, raising his gun, "We know you hid her, brother!" Yazoo fired again, aiming a never-ending rain of bullets at the blond. Cloud raised the sword in front of himself, using its width as a shield.

Taking a chance he flung his arm back, slashing through open air as Yazoo dodged, twisting the bike out of the way of the broad blade. His bike veered again and he steadied the handles with his left hand as the other clutched the sword tightly, keeping it from flying off in the harsh breeze. A shadow creeper charged at him head on, slamming into the right side of his bike and causing the back tire to make a sharp turn to the left. He revved the gas even further, making the motorcycle take off at a perilous pace as he pulled the left handlebar all the way back, tires screeching with the dangerous turn while new shadows grew, pursuing him. They all scattered when Yazoo pulled up, firing wildly at him, Loz skidded to the left, and the two began to circle him, attempting to cut him off.

"Don't tell me you're leading me on!" Kadaj laughed into his cell phone, "Because I think you do have Mother there." He paused, smiling, "No need to shout!" His eyes darkened, "I don't want to talk to you anymore; put the President on."

Another creeper lunged at him and he hacked through it, the smoke wafting right over his head. Yazoo trailed after him and the shadows swarmed. Loz drove behind a boulder and made a sharp turn, his rusty green bike skidding on its side and headed straight towards Cloud. With quick reflexes he curved the bike to climb a small hill and gave it even more gas, sending it into the air and over Loz's bike, dodging the nasty collision.

The metal tazer coiled around Loz's wrist sprang to life and he speed up, intent on rushing the blond as he drew the blade back. Loz suddenly crossed in front of him and both their bikes swerved. Cloud drove the blade down only to be stopped by the thick metal around the silver haired man's wrist. He slashed it down again and again, trying to cut through the tazer but to no avail. Fed up with the games Loz waited until the sword hit the metal once more to use the shock, sending the blade flying right past Cloud and landing so far away neither of them bothered to watch it fall.

A loud rumble met his ears and he trained his eyes in front of him. Yazoo charged; forcing the bike forward so quickly the rear tire soared into the air as the bike flipped. With a smirk, he removed his gun and fired, the blast knocking Cloud's sunglasses off and skimming his eyebrow. He shut his eyes, the pain making his head spin briefly before clearing up.

The pack of shadows grew even larger.

They enveloped him and he twisted the bike left and right, making an effort to shirk as many as possible.

Loz and Yazoo grinned at each other.

Catching up to him, the shadows dived all at once, teeth bared and claws poised to strike. Cloud gritted his teeth, the realization that it was far too late to get another sword hitting him full force as his eyes scanned every single one. Just as they were closing in on him, they disappeared, and he was once again blinded by the black clouds of smoke. His head shot up and his eyes caught sight of Kadaj. Hand raised while a smirk crossed his face.

Loz sneered at him and turned, speeding back the way he came, with Yazoo following suit. He looked over his shoulder, watching them go, and brought his bike to a halt, glancing at Kadaj. The blood that had dripped down his eyebrow was dried, making him squint his left eye.

Kadaj only smiled, turning his bike around and driving out of sight down the mountain.

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><p>He drove down the road as fast as he could, checking his messages, to see if <strong>she<strong> had called him any time at all during the struggle.

"_Whaddup, fool! It's Barret. I am the man! Oil, Cloud! I just found the biggest damn oil field you've ever seen! Survey's done so I should be able to get out there and see Marlene soon. You let her know, all right, spiky?_"

His cell beeped again, Tifa's voice playing on the other end, "_Reno called again. He says to hurry and he sounded kind of strange. Be careful, okay?_"

He parked his bike and stared at his phone, the screen showing the words: You Have No More Messages. Pocketing his phone he set the kickstand down and got off his bike. He made his way up the winding stairs drawing the buster sword out of the scabbard partially. Pushing the door open, he walked in and threw his arm out, clashing weapons with Reno.

A brief look of surprise had crossed the red head's face but it was replaced with one of over dramatized fury as he pulled his baton back and let out a "mighty" battle cry, charging head on. Cloud's face remained expressionless as he stepped to the right, causing Reno to run out the door, instead of accomplishing his well-thought out attack.

The Turk crashed into the wooden gate outside and gasped. Turning, he began to run back to the building, only to have the door slammed in his face.

It was quiet for a while.

"Okay! So you're good." Reno said, opening the door only to have it slammed in his face again and locked.

A heavy pair of footsteps sounded behind him and the blond turned as a tan skinned man entered the room, sunglasses on even in the dim lighting. He turned his shaded eyes on Cloud and stood in his place.

"Yeah, Rude, lookin' sharp!" Reno shouted from his place outside.

Rude pulled his baton out lightning fast but Cloud was faster. Before he could even raise his baton Cloud had thrust the buster sword forward, the hidden blade being forced out and coming close to slashing Rude across the face. The Turk tensed and backed away from the blade, Cloud's eyes burning right through to his own.

"Good. You fight like the SOLDIER you once claimed to be."

Cloud's expression faltered.

That voice, he would recognize it anywhere.

An electric wheelchair pulled up beside Rude and the Turk sheathed his baton. The man in the chair was wearing an unmistakable white suit but his face was obscured by a mantle, "You haven't lost your touch."

In the back of his mind he saw a man with slicked back, blond hair and feral blue eyes, shielding himself with his arms before the Shin-Ra building exploded, sirens going off as it burst into flames.

"Rufus Shinra?" He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He placed his sword in its scabbard and turned to Rude, "Do I feel sorry for you." Without another word he turned to leave. He wanted no part in whatever they were planning. Not after everything the Shin-Ra heir had put him through, not after what he'd _done_.

"The day of the explosion . . ." Rufus started.

"Go to hell."

"I managed to get out . . ." Rufus continued, brushing it off as if the ex-SOLDIER had said nothing.

The young swordsman wasn't having any of it, turning even as Rufus spoke, words going in one ear and out the other as his hand reached for the handle on the door.

"Before it collapsed . . ." Rufus sighed and bowed his head. He needed to act fast, his hands clenched the arm rest of his wheelchair, "We need your assistance, Cloud."

"Not interested."

"I acknowledge that Shin-Ra . . . owes the planet a lot." Cloud stopped dead in his tracks as he listened, Rufus smiled beneath his mantle, relieved to know he had caught the ex-SOLDIER's attention, "It goes without saying that my company and I are the ones that put the world in the sorry state it's in."

"No shit," Cloud scoffed.

Rufus froze, startled, then continued, "Therefore, it is our responsibility to set things right."

"I'm still out here!" Reno shouted from behind the door.

"It's been two years," Rufus said, completely ignoring him, "Now that the world is on its feet again, what poses the greatest threat?" His only answer was tense silence. Rufus smiled, tilting his head, "Well, that one's easy: Geostigma. And we have reason to think Sephiroth is the one responsible."

Cloud turned around instantly upon hearing _his_ name.

Rufus carried on, knowing the ex-SOLDIER was **definitely** not going anywhere else, "The populace, they blame mako energy, and the reactors . . . even the lifestream for causing the stigma. However, isn't that blame misplaced?" He leaned back in his chair as he spoke, "The lifestream has existed as long as the planet . . . and even mako energy has been part of our lives for over 40 years. And yet," Rufus trailed off, "there's no mention of the stigma in recorded history." He looked up at Cloud, "So, what happened during our time to change all that?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed, _"I can think of a lot of things,"_ he thought, but remained silent, waiting for Shinra to go on with his insane little blame-game.

Leaning forward Rufus continued, "I can think of only one thing. The arrival of Sephiroth."

Cloud visibly tensed, glaring at him from across the room, "Sephiroth is dead." Perhaps Rufus was crazier than he had presumed.

"Yes, but has his mind died? What if he somehow dissolved into the lifestream . . . coursing through the planet undiffused?"

Even from beneath his mantle he could see Cloud look down, obviously considering it, "I know it is merely my speculation…but it is possible, isn't it? And we can't cure the stigma until we know the truth. So we took action. We went to look for traces of Sephiroth. We started—" Rufus paused, mid sentence, staring at Cloud. "Do you know where?"

"Yup! In the Northern Cave!" Reno's muffled voice added.

"And what do you think we found?" Rufus inclined towards Cloud.

He remained silent, but inside, his psyche was screaming, taunting, laughing at him, _"You know what they found"_ it chanted over, and over again.

"Relax. We didn't find anything. However, not all went as planned. We were interrupted. Kadaj and his gang."

"Kadaj . . ." Cloud whispered. He couldn't have been talking about the kid he saw on the cliff side.

"It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started." Rufus bowed his head, "Really, what could they be thinking?"

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You're our buddy, aren't ya?" Reno said; Cloud could practically feel the hyperactive grin through the thick metal, so he slammed his boot on the door.

"Kadaj and his group are young and violent—as dangerous as they come. That's why we decided that it might be in our best interest to hire a little muscle."

Cloud's eyes snapped up to the white-clad heir, he suddenly wished he could see behind the cover; see the look on Rufus' face. Did he really, honestly believe he was going to help him? "Too bad. I'm a delivery boy now." That's right, he had a business to run, a kid to look after, and a person to find. He didn't have enough time for this crap. He had a life, with _real_ responsibilities and _real_ problems, the last thing he needed was to fight someone else's battle. His thoughts wandered off to that kid, Kadaj. If he had a score to settle with Shin-Ra then what was he doing chasing and attacking him?

"They'll be after you as well. If they haven't already found you."

"Leave me out of this."

"How?" Rufus asked, "Your ties to Sephiroth run as deep as ours do, Cloud. If Kadaj's purpose is to do what's necessary to prepare for the moment…we stand in the way as his greatest threat."

""Moment"?" He whispered.

Rufus nodded, "Sephiroth…reborn."

Cloud's eyes narrowed, "Are you done talking?"

"Let's get to the issue at hand," Rufus said, hands gripping his arm rest, "In order to combat Kadaj, we need someone with your expertise.

"Will you join us? Former SOLDIER, Cloud."

Cloud turned away again, reaching for the doorknob and turning it, "In my head . . ." The door swung open slowly, revealing an ecstatic Reno but he didn't move, he remembered something, something that . . . bothered him, "What's this stuff about, "Mother"?"

Sephiroth, he used to refer to his mother all the time.

"Why, did Kadaj mention something?"

"Rufus, if you're hiding something—"

"I'd never keep a secret, not from a comrade." At this Cloud wanted to groan. "You must want to learn all you can about the stigma? Naturally, for the sake of the orphan you live with." His eyes widened but he never turned around. "Surely, you long to see a smile return to his face?" Rufus extended his hand out towards him, smiling beneath his mantle, "All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Cloud."

He looked up at Rufus and Rude, then down at the floor, "But I . . ."

"Come on, Cloud, think about it." Reno said, "Together we could rebuild Shin-Ra!"

The blond's unsure expression turned into one of resentment and he walked out, pushing Reno out of the way with his shoulder, "Not interested."

Reno watched him walk away and turned around frantically when both Rufus and Rude called his name in a tone of voice he was pretty sure dripped venom.

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><p>AN: And again, I just wanted to make sure everyone knew this is a NOVELIZATION WITH SOME TWISTS. Just wanted to make sure ^^ Anyway sorry if it seemed slow but I promise, the next chapter will have more twists and be up as soon as I can get it, I would love some feedback to see how I did, this is the first time I ever do a novelization. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter II: Home Again

It's been a while but I'm finally back with the second chapter :)

Hope everyone likes it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII Advent Children/Advent Children Complete

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><p>Tifa didn't look up when the bell over her door chimed.<p>

"Welcome to the Seventh Heaven," She said as she put the glasses away, reciting her greeting mechanically. Looking over her shoulder at her customer she continued, "How may I help . . ." the woman's dark eyes widened, ". . . you . . .?" A bright smile crossed her face and she rounded the counter, "—!"

"Shh . . .!"

The barmaid's smile fell as she stared at the woman standing by the door. Her lips set in a tight line, but she stayed quiet.

The woman walked over to her and Tifa stepped away from the counter to approach her, brown eyes watching her every move.

She had been gone for so long.

Why wasn't she rushing up to see the children?

Where was the sunshine-of-a-smile of hers?

Why wasn't she with Cloud?

The woman laid a bag out onto one of the tables and reached in. Before Tifa could even blink she was being handed a glass bottle, filled to the brim with a clear liquid and crushed flower petals, her eyes widened, and she held it tightly, careful not to let it slip from her grasp, "Is this?" She couldn't even breathe as she stared at the bottle.

"No."

She looked up at the other woman, all the hope draining from her countenance. The woman looked down, chocolate colored bangs falling in front of her eyes; she shook her head slowly, "No." Closing the bag, she pulled the draw string, tightening it, "It should give me more time though." Letting the bag fall to her side the woman faced her.

Tifa's eyes softened.

She was tired. No. She was exhausted.

When she looked at her, she no longer saw the vibrant young woman she once knew. She saw a shell, a shell of her best friend, which was the same in looks alone, but not in spirit.

That had been the brightest part about her.

Her spirit.

Tifa bit her lip. Maybe not as alike in looks as she thought, dark circles were beginning to form around her eyes, an utterly defeated look had replaced her smiles, and her skin was so pale she could pass for a ghost. Even with that, she smiled softly, a true genuine smile, "Please, could you give that to Denzel for me?" She didn't even wait for Tifa to answer to take her leave, walking away. Tifa's eyes widened and she looked at the bottle in her hands.

"No."

The woman stopped.

Tifa's eyes narrowed and her hold on the bottle tightened, "You should."

The woman's shoulders slumped and she shook her head, even though her back was to her, ". . . I can't."

"Why not?" Tifa's voice was exasperated.

". . . I just can't."

Tifa looked down, "You sound just like Cloud."

The woman tensed at the blond's name, Tifa shook her head and set the bottle down on the counter, "I'm not going to give this to him, and neither will Marlene." She wasn't angry or hurt. She was just trying to get a clearer picture. The one's who cared about him the most were never there for him, and she wanted to change that. Tifa looked over her shoulder at the woman one last time before she walked away, her dark brown eyes focused on the steps as she climbed them.

If she left, she was no longer her friend.

If she stayed and reached out to the little boy, the _real_ her was still in there, somewhere.

Tifa opened the door to Denzel's room all the way, smiling at Marlene who was still planted in the chair at his bedside, coloring. The little girl didn't seem to notice though, running her crayons across the paper as she hummed softly. Tifa watched her silently for a second, the waxy figures taking shape in her mind.

She was drawing the photo on the nightstand, the one of Denzel, Cloud, and . . .

Soft footfalls made their way up the stairs and Tifa's eyes brightened. They stopped as soon as they were about to reach the top and Tifa held her breath, waiting for the woman's decision, turn now and run, or do the right thing. She hoped for the latter and feared the former. There was no movement at all, then, almost as if the planet had answered her prayer, the footsteps continued up the rest of the way.

Marlene lifted her head at the sound and looked to the hallway, her eyes widening. The small girl's mouth fell open in a silent gasp and her hold on her crayon slackened, falling from her fingertips, rolling along her lap, and tumbling to the floor.

Without a word she shot up from her chair, the papers and small box of crayons flying everywhere in a jumbled mess, and ran over to the woman in the doorway. She looked as if she wanted to escape, but stood in her place, watching the small girl rush towards her. With a soft cry she threw herself at the woman, nearly knocking her flat off her feet and down the stairs. Marlene wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, burying her head into her middle as a few silent tears escaped.

The woman's heart broke at the sight.

Regaining her balance she enclosed the small girl in her arms and held her tightly, running her hands soothingly over the petite braid at the back of her head and whispering calming words, doing everything she could to stop the tears.

Tifa smiled.

Marlene sniffled lightly, resting her head in the crook of her neck and gripping the smooth material of the woman's top in her fist. She pulled away from the small girl and held her gently by the shoulders to stare into her light brown eyes, and she smiled. Marlene smiled back as the woman stood, bending slightly to wipe a few stray tears away with her thumb. Taking the older girl's hand in her own, Marlene led her over to Denzel's bedside, careful to not make any more noise than she already had. The woman's eyes widened slightly and she almost pulled her hand away, hesitating.

Tifa reached out; afraid her friend would leave when Marlene looked up at the woman, tugging gently at her hand to beckon her to follow. Slowly but surely she did. Tifa let out a sigh of relief and followed the two, to the young boy's side watching carefully. The woman stood completely still, too afraid to move a muscle when Marlene let go of her hand. Silently she moved closer, Tifa and Marlene both watching and both holding their breath as the scene unfolded.

Her boot accidently stepped on a creaky floorboard and she jumped at the sound, eyes immediately darting to the small boy tucked beneath the covers. Denzel's eyes fluttered open slowly, closing when the light blinded him before groaning softly, and hiding beneath the covers once more. His head spun as his eyes adjusted to the lighting of the room, everything around him being cast in a blurry fog. Blinking back the sleep from his eyes he was struck with another wave of pain, his arms coming out from under the covers to hold his head between his palms. Opening his eyes, a blurred figure caught his attention, and he blinked, trying to sharpen the image but it was no use.

The figure moved forward hesitantly, like it was afraid to come near him, then it slowly reached out, pressing a hand to his cheek before running its fingers through the short hair by his ear. He blinked slowly, trying to make out the image but getting too lost in the warmth of their hand. It couldn't have been Marlene, the hand was too big, and it couldn't have been Tifa, it was smaller than her hand. . .

He caught a momentary glimpse of warm emerald eyes staring down at him and his heart raced. Those eyes, they reminded him so much of his mother, _too_ much of his mother, which meant it could only be. . .

"Aerith," he whispered softly. At his utterance of her name, his vision was restored; he was able to make out her wavy brown hair, and pink and black attire. She smiled at him softly.

"Hello, Denzel," Aerith whispered.

The drawing that lay forgotten on the floor showed of a happy, smiling family.

Tifa looked around her, searching for any sign of Aerith or the kids, and quickly reached for the phone. She had left them alone with Aerith when no one was looking to attend to a more important matter. Punching in the number she knew by heart, she raised the phone to her ear and listened to the dial tone impatiently. When no one picked up and the voicemail turned on, she didn't waste time with a greeting, "Cloud, get over here now. She's back."

The stairs creaked behind her and she hung up quickly, ducking behind the counter to reach for a glass and resurfacing just in time to see the green eyed woman emerge from the hall, with Marlene trailing after her. Tifa set the glass down on the counter with a blank look, "What's up?"

Aerith stopped before her, tying the bag closed, "I gave Denzel the remedy, so he should be fine," looking up at Tifa, she gave a weak smile, "if only for a while longer." The barmaid nodded slowly, noticing the way Marlene held onto the hem of the Cetra's skirt tightly, brown eyes downcast. "Teef," Aerith spoke softly, "I need to go."

Tifa's eyes widened, "But you just got here," she laughed incredulously, shaking her head. She couldn't have been serious, could she?

"I know," the green eyed woman whispered, "but, there are a few things I need to do."

Tifa opened her mouth to protest but fell silent. Marlene shook her head, her grip on Aerith's skirt tightening, the leather squeaking between her fingers. "You're coming back," both Aerith and Tifa looked down at the small girl, surprised, "right?" Marlene let go of her skirt and balled her hands into fists by her side, "Because if you don't, me and Tifa will come after you!" She turned to the barmaid by the counter, "Right?"

Tifa smiled, nodding slowly, "It's true," she looked at Aerith, grinning, "If you know what's good for you, you'll come back right away," she joked.

Marlene nodded and with a smile looked up at the older girl, "Promise?" Aerith looked taken aback. Slowly the corners of her lips tugged upwards and she nodded.

"I promise."

Marlene shook her head "no", small braid flying left and right from the movements, "It's not enough," she said, causing the green eyed woman to raise a rounded brow in confusion. The little girl held out her hand and entwined her fingers with Aerith's, "I'm going with you!"

Tifa stepped around the counter to approach the two, bending with her hands on her knees to look the small girl straight on, "Maybe you should stay here, Marlene."

Marlene pouted, huffing; she faced the barmaid, "Why?"

Tifa's eyes softened at her rebellion, she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Aerith. "No, no, it's alright," She smiled at Tifa, "she can come with me." Marlene smiled and Tifa stood.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

The little girl tugged at her hand and began to lead her towards the door, with a look over her shoulder she waved at Tifa. Aerith looked back at the raven haired woman and smiled, "We'll be back in a bit, Teef!"

"Bye!" Marlene called, just before the doors closed.

The brown eyed woman's smile fell as soon as the two were out of sight. She sighed. Hugging herself, she glanced at the phone by the counter, frowning, ". . . Cloud, where are you?"

* * *

><p>With a strong push the doors to the church opened, walking inside, her fingers trailed off the worn faded wood while Marlene ran past her and straight to the bright patch of flowers. Aerith smiled as the small girl reached out; touching the silky petals of all the plants she could reach, the light pouring over her and turning her dark hair gold. She looked up, smiling, and was about to turn to the older woman when she saw a lamp, stacked against a bedroll. Without a word she stood and walked over to them, kneeling down to pick a dusty, worn book off the floor. Aerith watched silently as she scanned the title: <em>Medical Dictionary<em>.

Marlene looked around to see even more books scattered everywhere, with names all regarding some form of medical terminology. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder at her, and then turned around to face her properly, "Is this where you've been the whole time?"

The woman was silent, hiding her arms behind her back she shook her head slowly, "No," she whispered softly, "not the whole time." Marlene nodded, setting the book down.

Placing her arms behind her back, she looked up at Aerith, the sunlight that flowed in from the holes in the roof highlighting her face, "So, where have you been?"

* * *

><p>Reno smiled as he and Rude entered the main hall of the lodge, things had been going smoothly so far and he wasn't complaining. The only bump in the road had been Cloud, but he was sure, that with enough asking and maybe a little bit of annoying they'd get him on their side in no time. "Now we just gotta find Elena and the director," he thought aloud as he threw himself onto the couch, "The employees give you any leads?"<p>

Rude stood in the middle of the floor, "No. Nothing yet."

Reno laid back, folding his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling, "Who'd have thought? A lot of Shinra's people actually returned to work!" Sitting up quickly, he turned to Rude, pounding the side of his fist against the arm of the couch lightly, "Now that's dedication." Smiling he continued, "I'm telling you this could be a fresh start!"

The bald Turk stared at the redhead, unmoving. "Well," he started, "those left alive have a lot to atone for."

Reno's cheery visage fell, face turning to stone in a single instant as he thought over the older man's words. Lying back down, he settled into a comfortable spot among the cushions, eyes drifting to the ceiling once more. "Two years already." He thought back, memories flooding back to the surface, "Seems like a lot longer than that." A bitter smile crossed the redhead's lips, "What a nightmare, huh? The world was nearly obliterated, and we were the obliterators."

Sitting back up, he turned to Rude, all traces of mischief gone, "Seriously, though. How are we ever supposed to atone for that?" Shaking his head lightly, he continued, "Too bad the director's not around, you know?" At his own words, he thought back two years ago, to a time when he was ordered to be Tseng's enemy, "Seemed he really had it together back then. Realized _it_ before the rest of us." His shoulders sagged as he thought of the director and Elena, "Hope they're alive," he whispered, unable to conceal the concern and worry in his voice.

For what felt like the first time in hours, Rude spoke, "They are." Reno looked up just as Rude took a seat beside him, "Tseng's just like the president. They're kind of like cats." Reno's face was drained of all seriousness as he stared at the older Turk, trying to understand what he meant, and trying not to laugh at the same time. Rude didn't even need to look at Reno to know he didn't understand, so he tried again, "Nine lives, you know."

The younger Turk smiled, laughing lightly while he laid back against the cushions, wondering what Rufus and Tseng would look like as cats, "You got that right!"

Rude gave him a small smile before he turned to the door sharply, rising from his spot abruptly. Reno whipped around quickly, his eyes growing wide. Black fog trickled in from the cracks around the door and under it, casting an ominous shadow along the floor.

"**Found ya**."

* * *

><p>He slowly blinked his eyes open, only to find the room empty. Denzel gasped, sitting up as fast as he could to search the room for any sign of the woman in pink. The world started to spin around him from the sudden movement and he placed a hand to his head in an effort to make it stop. Taking a deep breath the young boy looked to his left, only to find Marlene's chair empty. His lips parted as a look of confusion crossed his face.<p>

Resting his hand on his knee, he stared at it silently, as if the answer to his questions was written in the minuscule folds and creases of his palm. Swinging his legs, he got out of bed. The cold wooden floorboards raising goose bumps along his skin. Stepping forward, the wood creaked beneath him and he jumped. A noise sounded from downstairs and footsteps made their way towards the bottom of the stairs. He wondered if he should jump back in bed or not, but wasn't given the time to decide when Tifa stepped into the room.

"You really should be resting."

Denzel nodded slowly, sitting down on the edge of the mattress before looking up, his lips parted like he was going to speak when he stopped, looking down. Tifa tilted her head, and placed her hands on her hips, "What is it?" She asked softly. The small boy looked at her once again, but he still remained quiet.

"Is she gone again?"

Tifa's eyes softened. Making her way over to him, she sat in the chair next to his nightstand, and as gently as she could, she spoke, "She promised she'd be back." Denzel turned away from her, thin lips set in a firm line. She sighed, "Marlene's with her," his eyes widened, "so she won't be gone long."

His head whipped around at that. Something in his blue eyes sparkled that she hadn't seen in a very long time: hope. Clutching the covers in his hands, his blue eyes strayed to the window, "Then . . . what about . . .?" The small boy didn't need to finish his sentence for her to know who he was talking about, and she looked at her knees.

"I don't know about him."

And as soon as the sparkle of hope had appeared, it disappeared.


End file.
